38 Valentin's account. 



procured from the island of Bouro, (one of the 

 Molucca group,) which is situated in about the 

 latitude of 3° 30' south, and longitude 126° 30' 

 east. It was presented to Mr. Beale by Mr. 

 Bletterman. 



In Valentin's account of the Birds of Paradise, 

 (quoted in Forrest's Voyage to New Guinea, &c.) 

 it is mentioned that the Portuguese first found 

 these birds on the island of Gilolo, the Papua 

 Islands, and New Guinea ; and they were known 

 by the name of Passaros da sol, i. e. birds of 

 the sun. The inhabitants of Ternate call them 

 Manuco dewata, the bird of God. The accounts 

 of the bird having no legs, being constantly on 

 the wing, and in the air, on which it lived, are of 

 course perfectly fabulous : to support which ac- 

 count, however, the legs of the birds were always 

 cut off, when the preserved specimens were of- 

 fered for sale. Another reason for cutting off 

 the legs is, that the birds are found to be more 

 easily preserved without them ; besides, that the 

 Moors wanted the birds without legs, in order to 

 put them, in their mock fights, on their helmets, 

 as ornaments. The inhabitants of Aroo, however, 

 have offered the birds for sale with legs these 

 seventy or eighty years ; and Pigafetta, shipmate 

 of Ferdinand Magelhaens, who had often seen 

 them, proved, about the year 1525, that they 



